Alfred Kaiser
Name: Alfred Kaiser First Appearance: "Harsh Awakening" born:??? Relatives:??? Groups: Arcadia Position: Water Personality Newly rebuilt, Alfred was noticeably cold and polite, almost a regression from his once-fledgling friendliness. He doesn’t mince words, intentionally or otherwise, when it comes to perplexed and/or disparaging comments towards his “organic” classmates. Most discouraging to the scientists at Arcadia is what seems to be a mild superiority complex he developed in relation to humans. As of late, however, Al felt his budding humanity almost too much to bear. At present, his attempts at humor have become erratic and foolish at best. Most importantly, however, is his confusion over a newly discovered attraction to human females, which he ocassionally surrenders to but oftentimes has nothing but repulsion and disgust for. Abilities Spiral Energy Reactor – Missing his original power core, the Arcadia scientists fitted him with something arguably more powerful, and yet considerably less reliable and more random. The Spiral Energy Reactor, mark 2, is the first android core made on the principle. Spiral energy depends entirely on the emotions of its user, and as an advanced biomechanical android, Alfred is capable of harboring emotions. Until they develop further, however, he is not likely to draw too much from his new power core. Spiral energy represents a true wild card. It has infinite possibility if pushed to the limit. In moments of despair or irrational anger, however, it can completely fail, shutting down vital functions. But with the right emotion and an iron will, momentary surges can perform seemingly impossible feats, adding power or hitherto-unseen functions when they are needed most. As of yet, Alfred has little sense of how to control the reactor and make even efficient ordinary usage. Machine Strength – Alfred is stronger than a human, despite his slight frame. Arcadia was able to rebuild him largely from scratch, mostly replicating his previous physical strength. Unfortunately, they couldn’t replicate the superlight, superstrong gamma alloy he was originally made of. Only his skull and his right forearm and hand are composed of the old material. The rest of his body suffers from a reduced durability, which enables strong impacts and combat damage to take more of an effect on him than they could before. He retains his weakness to powerful magnetic forces, which can restrain his metallic frame. “Dragoon Mk 1” Spiral Energy Propulsion Boosters – After an explosive testing mishap with miniature liquid propulsion boosters, the Arcadia scientists turned back to an idea long on the drawing board – shunting spiral energy into a propulsive form. The concept is still in the early stages, but it seems to operate well enough. Alfred’s currently using the first miniaturized prototype. In the form of boosters embedded in his legs, he can shunt the spiral energy through ports on the soles of his feet, resembling rocket blasts. He can use this for quick dashes and boosted-altitude leaps. Any form of sustained flight is usually a few seconds of hovering at best. Spiral Matter-Converter – This module attached to his core by the Arcadia scientists was made in anticipation to allow an android like Al to summon a soul weapon, in the same way the spell was magically sealed into Arcadia uniforms. It is made to directly convert the spiral energy from the reactor into matter, and is drawn out of his chest in the same way as ordinary soul weapons. As with his other Arcadia specific functions, Al has not been able to activate this yet. The only use the module currently serves is to enable Al to manifest his Arcadia uniform without the direct aid of magic. Anti-Shadow Equipment – Integrated into Alfred’s frame is this strange array of emmitters, connected to the spiral energy reactor. It’s designed to allow an android like Al to summon a persona in a similar method built into the Arcadia uniforms. Yet, he has not yet been able to do so, having little experience with his Arcadia-designed functions. Until Alfred can successfully unlock the ability, this equipment lies dormant in his frame. Plot overview Alfred’s original purpose was not known. He was constructed and set upon Hyakuji last year as a data-gathering device, with the full intent of collecting an entire database on the “special” student population. As a means of blending in better with the humans, he was given behavioral protocols and a biomechanical brain. It worked better than expected, but not in the right sort of ways. Alfred developed a personality more quickly than could be expected. He was nearly smitten with one Diene Ramell, a robotics expert who suspected Alfred’s origins early on. He had hoped to maintain his disguise, but she nearly made him fail to do so, confusing him with strange emotions. When “Miss Ramell” suffered an untimely demise, Alfred was momentarily disturbed, but has since moved on, wanting to avoid mention of the situation. He maintained momentary contact with an android creation of hers after her death, a female who attempted to reveal to Alfred information about his creators, which he’d been strictly prevented by his programming from investigating. Due to her connections to the unsavory Wo Shing, he cautiously drew away from her, eventually losing contact for reasons he cannot recall or simply never knew. Other elements began to enter Alfred’s world, eventually shattering both his disguise and his fragile view of the world around him. Confused by what were essentially adolescent emotions, Alfred turned for assistance to any mentor he could find. At school, two wholly-different but connected figures presented themselves, in the form of Hiro and Lillian, the supernatural studies and science teachers, respectively. Alfred was rooted in cold logic, but he could not resist the strange draw of Hiro’s subject matter. During the incident when Zorc assaulted the city, Alfred assisted Rukkai, Danny, and other students in an ill-fated attempt to bring down the strange god, later acting as one of Hyakuzor’s three pilots. The entire incident shook him at his core. He had discovered the budding emotion of anger rooted in his base – ultimately human – instincts. His inability to understand the supernatural and a fear of what would become of the city he’d been sent to study drove him to turn in hatred on Bakura, who he saw as a madman spewing superstituous garbage, and a considerable threat. Bakura had allowed Alfred to live and to watch over Hiro’s lifeless body, but he did not count on the android losing control and aiding the attack on him. At the climax before Bakura sacrificed himself to summon Zorc, Alfred brutally beat him, with an intoxicating ferocity that haunts the android even to this day. After this incident made the supernatural a more credible line of explanation to the android, he was recruited by Hiro Tsukasa as a member of Arcadia, mainly because of the android’s lack of susceptibility to many mind-affecting powers. Alfred acquiesed, since it put him in a better position to study Tsukasa and his most unusual trade. Lillian Aurion, keeping her eye on the strange child, was able to gain Al’s trust enough for the android to reveal himself to her. She began a number of examinations of the android. During this period of time, Alfred simultaneously served Hiro and Arcadia, thoroughly unaware of the strained relationship between his two “mentors”. During the Dieu Saga, Alfred presumably continued his education and operated for Arcadia, continuing to gather data. At some point near the climactic ending where all the memories of the people were erased, Alfred was destroyed in combat by multiple attackers. His flesh was burned off and his shattered skeleatal parts were scattered across the greater Hyakuji area, only to be found later, during the Skyworld crisis. Alfred was inexplicably missing, and none could seem to recall what had happened. Hiro Tuskasa, wandering alone in a cave in the shadow of Mt. Hayaku, inexplicably came across a lost Rozanny and a very dirty old hobo. The man introduced himself as Jay Perkins, before depositing a sack containing Alfred’s skull in Hiro’s arms and inexplicably leaving. What connection Perkins had to Alfred at his demise is not certain. Lillian Arion came into possession of Alfred’s miniaturized power core and his ribcage, hanging from the branches of a tree deep in the woods. She took these to her lab and is even now studying them. Using only the skull and a severed arm retrieved by Evan Krenchitz, Arcadia reconstructed Alfred with their own design specifications, placing within his body modifications that he might not quite be comfortable with. When Hiro was defeated by Cain, Alfred was pressed into service almost immediately, cooperating fully with Isaac and Claudia, their temporary leaders. Alfred and Evan, uncertain of what they'd find, searched the premesis of Eldritch Influence and found a book detailing the vampiric philosophy of "Golconda", thanks to unseen intervention by members of the Hellfire Club. Krenchitz's later acquisition of the vial that cured Hiro of his vampirism, also a gift from the Hellfire Club, rendered Golconda a moot point, and Alfred's planned trip to London to visit the Hellsing Society on the matter was cancelled. However, Alfred is still intrigued by Golconda, almost unhealthily so, as if its thematic ties to becoming human had any relevance to his present state of partial humanity. During a subsequent night patrol Alfred came accross the signature of his old miniature fusion power core, only to have a violent confrontation with Lillian when he attempted to sieze what was undoubtely his property. Overcome by the woman's psychokinetic powers, Alfred barely escaped without becoming her next specimen, for the time being, but the core remained in her hands. Alfred could only muster a memory of Lillian's name, and nothing else. He little suspected the danger he was in, and what a threat she'd present. Alfred assisted in the capture of Hiro, and later confronted him in his cell about the matter with Lillian, asking him who she was. Hiro's poor reaction to the name forced Alfred to enter the cell itself and attempt to pacify Hiro. Recieving no definitive answer as to what went on, Alfred left unsatisfied. When Hiro was later taken by the Get of Cain, Alfred participated in a frontal charge, attempting to occupy Viscard while the others dealt with the weaker vampires. He lost his arm, but thanks to the timely assistance of Miyuki and several others, they managed to defeat the Elder Vampire and Judah as well, and Hiro was restored to life. When on vacation in Hokkaido, Alfred would painfully sense his own humanity, especially when driven to awkwardness when confronted with Miyuki, whom he felt an attraction to. Jameson decided to fix the two up in the same hot spring, and thus began an unrequited and unhealthy fixation on Alfred's part. After returning home, Alfred finally requested to leave his residence in Arcadia and take up in a dorm, unsurprisingly being assigned to board with Jameson and Miyuki. Before leaving, he requested a transfer from Fire Division to Water, to take him out of danger, particularly because he was becoming emotionally erratic and unstable, directly affecting his performance. Upon his arrival, an uncomfortable meeting with Miyuki forced Alfred out of the apartment, where he went to the carnival grounds to vent some of the unhealthy emotions. There, Lillian Arion effectively began to seduce the inexperienced android, and convinced him that she could restore him to a better self, to make him more at ease with his humanity, and get Miyuki to return his affection. Against his better judgement and Hiro's advice, Alfred allowed himself to be enthralled with this offer, and accepted it after only minimal resistance, once Lillian used the proper tactics. Now, Alfred is precariously entered Lilliian's services, allowing her to examine him and reinstall old systems. And with his newfound security clearance at Arcadia, this is a poor state of affairs. Category:Characters: Students